Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fitness, Fit Yoga
The average rate of a drop-in yoga class in North America is $18. I agree with all of you shaking your heads right now, it’s a high price to pay, especially if you’re planning on attending classes regularly. Fortunately, there are options available that allow you to start relaxing without dishing out your life savings.
If you’re planning on maintaining your yoga practice, you should definitely purchase bulk passes offered in groups of five, 10 or 20. If you want to go more than twice a week, consider buying a monthly pass. Either option works out to be much cheaper than the $18 drop-in rate. Most yoga studios also offer student rates and energy exchanges, where you work at the yoga studio in exchange for yoga classes.
Look out for community classes taught by teachers-in-training. They are significantly cheaper and you’re giving a teacher-in-training the opportunity to build their teaching experience. Some studios also offer karma classes where you pay by donation.
Continue reading Is Yoga Too Expensive?
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fitness, Fit Yoga
It should be easy, but living in a fast-paced, results-oriented society we often have trouble with this simplest action — learning to let go.
For many, being constantly on the move, staying one-step-ahead of the game and remaining in control of … Read more
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fit Yoga
As both a yoga practitioner and a yoga teacher, I have learned a few essential things along the way about how one can prepare to ensure their yoga class, and that of their fellow yogis, is enjoyable.
Yoga Class Dos and Don’ts
1. Don’t Eat Before It’s recommended that you don’t eat at least two hours before a yoga class. The main reason for this is that full stomach interferes with the postures and your breathing by restricting the space in the abdomen. Also, you want to avoid embarrassment by passing gas in a class so keep in mind, some high-fibre foods such as beans, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage may cause more gas than other types of food.
2. Do Wear Appropriate Clothing You need clothes that give you room to move and provide space for your body to breathe. And ladies, beware of low-cut tops, particularly when practicing in a quick, moving class. I can tell you from personal experience that breasts will threaten to pop out in certain poses when not properly clothed (that exact situation ruined a class for me as my thoughts were on my breasts instead of my breath.) And gentlemen, if you’re going to wear small, loose shorts, please wear fitted underwear, it can be very distracting for teacher and students alike when your stuff is hanging out. There are shorts available with built-in underwear that will remedy this situation.
Continue reading 10 Yoga Class Dos and Don’ts
Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Yoga
Bad posture can decrease height by as much as two to three inches. And it can affect your breathing, digestion, back health and overall quality of life. If you’re someone who suffers from poor posture, here’s a yoga move you should get to know: … Read more
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Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Fitness, Fit Yoga
I always find it helpful to have yoga props on-hand when doing my yoga practice. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned yoga practitioner, there are many benefits to using props. And keep in mind, just because the person beside you isn’t using … Read more
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Fit Yoga
Perhaps you have already been in a yoga class where the teacher has asked you to set an intention at the start of the class. Let me explain the specifics of what makes an effective intention, why it’s a valuable part of your yoga practice and the difference between intentions and goals.
What is an intention?
Think of an intention as a promise you make to yourself about something you want to do, be or say. It could be something you would like to improve about yourself in your yoga practice, such as having more patience or not pushing yourself past your limit in your poses.
An intention can also be a dedication of your yoga practice to a person that has been a mentor to you or to someone you are experiencing a challenging time with. In either case, when you offer your practice to another, your intention becomes a practice of love and compassion towards this individual.
When you set an intention, you bring more meaning into your practice and into your life. By bringing a whole new level of awareness into your practice, you strengthen your practice and transform your inner-being.
Continue reading Get More Out of Yoga Class by Setting an Intention
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fit Yoga
I’m currently going through a very busy period in my life: many work projects on the go, writing deadlines, meetings and teaching yoga classes On top of that, I’m preparing to leave for a six-week trip and what a preparation that is: visas, shots, planning itineraries, shopping for the right clothing and gear AND I have to figure out where my cats are going to stay. And on top of that, everyone is coming out of hibernation so friends are calling, emailing and texting wanting to get together for lunches, brunches and catching-up. And to top it all, my mother is in the hospital because she had her thyroid removed.
As you can imagine, periods like this can be super stressful and tiresome, which is all the more reason to make a concerted effort to stay happy and keep sane. Here here are five essential things I do to keep balanced.
5 Essential Things You Must Do To Have Balance In Your Life
1. Create a to-do list
Every morning, I look at my to-do list, I check off what I’ve already done, I add new tasks that need to be done and I place asterisks on items that are top priority. This helps me plan my day and my week. I know what needs to be done now and what tasks can wait. It is also helpful to mark down how long each task will take you to do, this way, you can hopefully avoid scheduling too many things throughout a week.
Tip: Do not procrastinate. Avoid having one or two stubborn items that stay on your list for two months because you don’t want to do them. In fact, get to those most hated items as soon as you can. Checking them off will feel sooooo good.
Continue reading Stress Relief: 5 Essentials to Create Life Balance
Filed under: Advice, Fitness, Fit Yoga
You never know what you’re missing out on until something better comes along. Sounds a little over dramatic considering I’m referring to my yoga mat, but it’s so true. As a beginner, I used a cheap, pencil-thin mat that was slippery and pretty frustrating. If you want a consistent yoga practice, investing in a good quality yoga mat is absolutely necessary as your focus should be on your practice, not on your mat.
And I’ve seen some ugly wipe outs. This happens more often than you might think, particularly in a hot and sweaty class. One reason is that low-quality mats (generally these are under $40) may not be designed to sit evenly on the floor without slipping. If you tend to have a more vigorous yoga practice, a low-quality mat is bound to get you seriously hurt.
A good-quality yoga mat can help improve your balance and coordination. Some mats are thick, giving you extra padding to support you as you transition from pose to pose, while others aim to give better traction. There are yoga mats out there that absorb moisture and perspiration, and for those of you trying to be environmentally friendly, eco-yoga mats are also available. Many yoga mats contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is linked to some types of cancer and cannot be recycled.
So how do you choose a yoga mat?
Continue reading Yoga Mats Dos and Don’ts: How to Choose the Right One
Filed under: Advice, Fitness, Fit Yoga
As a yoga teacher, I try my best to make sure all my students practice in a safe and relaxed environment. It’s sometimes a challenge to keep the class moving smoothly and also keep an eye on all your students–actually, depending on the class size, it’s often impossible. That’s why it’s important for you, as a yoga practitioner, to be aware of what you can do to avoid injury. It only takes a few seconds for you to check-in with yourself to make sure you are practicing safely, and by doing that you can avoid injury and possibly a lengthy period of healing.
Here are 5 Yoga Safety Tips to Avoid Injury
1. Find a Qualified Instructor
Practicing under the guidance of a qualified and experienced yoga teacher is essential. Today, a certified yoga teacher must have a minimum of 200 hours of training. For a yoga teacher who is serious about teaching, they too must be committed to continuously learning and practicing. Finding a teacher(s) that you have a connection with and that inspires you can enhance your yoga practice immensely.
Continue reading 5 Tips to Make Your Yoga Practice Injury-Free
Filed under: Health, Fitness, Fit Yoga
If you’re not familiar with Cat-Cow Pose, you are definitely missing out. Not only is this pose wonderful for bringing awareness to the spine, but it also helps with stretching and strengthening the back, developing coordination of spinal movement and keeping the spine flexible. Cat-Cow Pose is a regular in my yoga classes. Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced practitioner, once you’ve tried it, you can never get enough of this pose.
Keys to Good Posture
The basis for good posture is maintaining a “neutral spine.” A neutral spine retains three natural curves: a small hollow at the base of the neck, a small roundness at the middle back, and a small hollow in the low back. A neutral spine is neither rounded forward nor arched back too much.
We are a slouching culture; hunched backs, forward-rolled shoulders and protruding bellies. Bad posture is a growing epidemic in our society, as many people spend long hours sitting behind a desk every day. It is estimated that four out of five Canadians will experience back pain at some point in their lives, and it is the top reason for missing work.
Research also suggests that many spine problems are preventable because they result from poor posture and body mechanics, which subject the spine to abnormal stresses. Slouching creates poor posture, which results in imbalances in muscle structures.
How Can Yoga Help?
Continue reading Add ‘Cat-Cow’ Pose to Your Yoga Practice and Improve Your Posture
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fit Yoga
People are so unaware of how they breathe; I see it every day. Most of us assume that because breathing is one of the most natural things we do, that there is nothing to be done, but our breathing is greatly affected by life’s ups and downs and many times it suffers greatly for it. As breathing guru, Donna Farhi says in The Breathing Book, the challenge is to uncover and reawaken the essential breath by learning how we interfere or block this natural process.
Obviously, we all know that if we cannot breathe, we cannot live. We breathe in oxygen and we breathe out carbon dioxide. When we breathe properly, we improve concentration, eliminate toxins, strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, and get the metabolism going. Yoga, tai chi, and qigong all share these same breathing benefits when performed properly.
On the other hand, not breathing correctly can cause many problems in the body such as to the immune, circulatory, endocrine and nervous systems and produce a number of symptoms including dizziness, anxiety, chest, neck and shoulder pain and digestive problems.
Six ways we breathe incorrectly after the jump
Continue reading Better Breathing for Better Health: 6 Ways People Breathe Incorrectly
Filed under: Sex, Advice, Fit Yoga
Since becoming a yoga practitioner nine years ago, I’ve seen some significant changes in my life – transformations beyond belief. And one of the really great things I’ve noticed is a better sex life. I’m apparently not the only one who has experienced the true wonders of yoga; according to a recent article in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, yogis are having better sex.
If you’re looking to spice up your sex life, here are five ways yoga can help!
1. Focusing on the now
Yoga is a moving meditation; we bring our attention to our breath as we transition from pose to pose. This helps us diminish mental chatter, as we focus on the present moment. How often have you only thought about getting to the orgasm while having sex? Don’t worry; you’re not the only one. As a result, many people have not been able to enjoy sex. Sex is about connecting to your partner and enjoying the process, you’re both on a sexual adventure together. Staying in the present moment as opposed to jumping to the future will allow you to do that.
Continue reading 5 Ways Yoga Can Spice Up Your Sex Life
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Fitness, Fit Yoga
My very first introduction to yoga was taking a class with a friend at a yoga studio in my neighbourhood. (I wrote about my experience in the post called Health Benefits of Yoga: 5 Tips To Get You Started). While practicing in a studio is highly … Read more
Filed under: Happiness, Health, Fitness, Fit Yoga
One of my very favourite poses to do when I’m on my yoga mat is Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II). The pose at first glance may look like a piece of cake, but just like many yoga poses, there’s a lot more going on in the body than you might think. Warrior II strengthens the legs and ankles, the groin, chest, lungs and shoulders, and it stimulates the abdominal organs.
The definition of a warrior is one who is engaged in or experienced in battle, which makes one wonder how Warrior II end up being a name for a yoga pose when yoga is all about non-violence? But, upon further reflection, it’s actually quite fitting as the pose teaches us to not only be warriors on our mats, but off our mats too. Let me explain.
The warrior series (Warrior I, II, III) reminds me of the Warrior Arjuna and the great teachings of the Bhagavad Gita; a sacred Hindu scripture that portrays the dialogue between Arjuna and the Lord Krishna on the battlefield. It is a beautiful story that offers life lessons of courage and finding our inner center.
A warrior is one who exemplifies courage. In the Bhagavad Gita, in order for Arjuna to win the battle, he first and foremost must have faith. We learn that in order to accomplish anything of significance in life, we must have faith in ourselves. The battle in the Bhagavad Gita represents our inner struggles, and as warriors, we must have the courage to persevere through any challenges we face. We must keep our hearts open, and our faith strong, as we can not reap the benefits of yoga if we are forcing or holding tension in a pose, as much as we can not truly be happy if we are submitting to our fears.
Continue reading Warrior II: A Yoga Pose to Keep You Grounded and Give You Courage
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Fit Yoga
Teaching yoga to a new group of students, I’m always weary of chanting something as simple as ‘OM’ at the end of the class. There are always those students who won’t do it, for fear you might actually hear their voice, or those who think that chanting is “too spiritual.” If you’ve never chanted before, why not give it at least one try? Once you realize the great health benefits that come along with mantra chanting, you’ll be chanting your heart out day and night!
What Is a Mantra?
A mantra is simply a sound, syllable, word, or group of words repeated; it literally means to vibrate the mind. Mantras are of Sanskrit origin and have a powerful meaning behind them. It is for this reason, when we chant mantras, that they instill positive thoughts in our minds. We may not know what we are chanting, but that’s OK — it still has an effect on our overall well-being. Each mantra we chant has a different sound and vibration, which in turn has a different effect on a specific part of the body.
Continue reading How Mantra Chanting in Yoga Class Can Improve Your Life
While practically everyone and their cousin has attended a yoga class at least once and thus have a basic understanding of the practice and its benefits, myths still perpetuate. I’d like to use today’s post to bust them in an effort to get you last hold-outs out to try a class!
1. Yoga won’t get you in shape, it’s all about chanting and loving yourself
Yoga can make you strong and fit. With proper breathing and consistent practice, yoga can help circulate blood flow and oxygen to all areas of your body, strengthening and toning your muscles and giving you more energy. But yoga is not only a physical practice, it is a mental, and spiritual practice made up of asanas (poses), as well as seven other components: constraints, observances, breathing techniques, sense control, concentration, meditation, and divine union.
2. Yoga is a religion
Yoga has been part of Indian, specifically, Hindu culture for 5000 years and ancient yogic texts back this up. Yoga is not a religion and it’s open to all people of various beliefs. Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice. It’s a way of living that teaches us to be healthy and happy by helping us reach the highest goal of evolution: knowing the self.
Continue reading 5 Myths About Yoga
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fitness, Fit Yoga
While it hasn’t been too brutal of a winter (at least in Ontario), the recent cold, dark months still saw many of us hunker down into hibernation ie. staying put on the couch and eating foods that warm both our bods and our souls (high carbs!, high fat!). Thus, with the first day of spring (March 20) slowly making its way, it’s a great time to think about detoxifying.
Many people choose to remove toxins from their bodies with a cleanse, but another great way to do this is with yoga. Did you know that by simply bringing awareness to our breath, and the present moment, we can begin to unleash toxins from our mind and body?
By relaxing our bodies and allowing muscles to soften, we can release toxins that are stored in our muscle knots. We also improve our circulation stretching and increasing flexibility and this improved flow also helps free and release impurities.
Continue reading Detox Your Body With Yoga